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Texas Children’s Hospital

Houston

Texas Children’s Hospital

Opened in 2001, this Child Life Zone serves the largest Children’s Hospital in the country. Located on a family floor adjacent to other support services, the Zone fulfills the original zone mission by providing a place for young patients to hang out, play games, and unleash their creativity. In fact, the space includes a Radio Lollipop station, programmed by kids that can be broadcast throughout the hospital.

Mary E. Tietjens, BS, CCLS

Child Life Manager

Mary Tietjens is a Certified Child Life Specialist with a Bachelors Degree in Growth and Development of Children/Child Life. Her career at Texas Children’s Hospital spans 23 years, during which she has provided psychosocial care to patients and families, provided education to students and staff, and implemented Child Life programming throughout the organization.

Mary was hired by Texas Children’s Hospital in October of 1989 as an outpatient child life specialist. She developed a support group for children with Cystic Fibrosis and collaborated with AIDS Foundation Houston to help develop two summer camp programs for children with HIV/AIDS.

After ten years in the outpatient department, expanded her focus to providing evidence-based practice research in support of the child life field. Her research received the Child Life Research Award in 2003, presented by the Child Life Council in Montreal, Quebec.

Currently Mary serves as the Manager for the Child Life Department at Texas Children’s Hospital.

A Child Life Zone is a state-of-the-art, therapeutic play area inside a hospital where pediatric patients and their families can play, learn, laugh, and relax. A sanctuary. A place to learn. A hang-out. A game center. A place to be the star of your own show. A place to connect. A place where a kid can be a kid.

Each zone is staffed by child life specialists, certified professionals who help children and their families cope with difficult medical challenges through play, education, and self-expression. Child life specialists teach patients about their illness and what to expect during treatment, and they provide support to patients and their families before, during, and after procedures.

At each of Teammates for Kids’ Child Life Zones, we’ve learned that it’s not enough to simply raise the money to build and open the zone. As with any other property, we need to have the resources to support the ongoing quality and programming within each zone, ensuring the long-term viability of these special places. Each zone must be maintained and updated to keep it functioning as a top-notch facility, with the latest technology, offering the best experience to the kids.

A Zone Angel is an individual or family in the local community who believes in the good work that goes on at the zone, and decides to make a 10-year financial commitment to maintaining that particular zone. For more information on becoming a Zone Angel, contact Jason Grahame.